Indore: The Indore municipal corporation on Monday slapped a penalty of Rs 13.46 lakh on the Bharatiya Janata Party for 'violation of norms' during party leader JP Nadda's roadshow here.
The move has heated up politics in the state with BJP MLA and mayor Malini Gaur hitting out at the government over "political vendetta". She alleged that the municipal corporation officials were under pressure from the Congress-led state government to act against the saffron party.
On the invitation of local MP Shankar Lalwani, the BJP executive president had visited the city where the party took out a roadshow in support of the new citizenship law. Indore has a sizeable population of Sindhis, who had migrated from Pakistan and had been demanding amendment of the Citizenship Act for long.
As section 144 of the CrPC had been imposed in he city due to NRC-CAA protests, the administration had given permission for the public rally with riders. The administration had said that the roadshow should end in 35 minutes and no stage should be set up. However, these norms were flouted.
The roadshow continued for around one-and-a-half hours and the BJP workers covered the city roads with banners and posters besides erecting 'welcome stages' at different places to greet the visiting senior leader. The corporation was also strict with the rules as the first phase of Swachhta Survey 2020 was to begin from Monday.
After the roadshow and political rally ended, the Congress city unit raised a complaint with the municipal corporation alleging violation of the norms by the BJP.
Acting upon the complaint, the IMC issued a notice to BJP city president Gopi Krishna Nema asking his party to pay a fine of Rs 13.46 lakh for violations. Offering the break-up of the penalties, the corporation said that it incurred an expense of Rs 1.25 lakh in removing the publicity materials put up by the BJP across the city.
Besides, the corporation held BJP responsible for breach of Section 322 of the 'MP Outdoor Advertising Media Rules 2017' by putting up publicity material without permission and hindering traffic movement. It imposed a fine of Rs 10.35 lakh on the party.
By adding 18% GST, the amount added up further by Rs 1.86 lakh. In all the BJP has been asked to pay Rs 13.46 lakh with the corporation.
PWD minister Sajjan Singh Verma attacking the BJP executive president questioned his visit saying he came to a peaceful Indore, when he should have been visiting Assam and North East which are on fire on NRC-CAA. "Why you are trying to set up a peaceful state on fire," Verma asked Nadda.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA and the Indore mayor Malini Gaur on Monday hit back at the Congress government saying the action was driven out of political vendetta. The mayor alleging that the IMC officials were under pressure of the state government claimed that she had no idea about the notice.
It is pertinent that Chief Minister Kamal Nath had in the recent past had ordered action against political banners and hoardings urging his own partymen to desist from hoarding culture. He had even asked civic bodies to even act if the publicity material carries his own pictures.
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